SA crime wave blamed on Zim military

SA crime wave blamed on Zim military

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By Staff Reporter

SOUTH African police officers claim to have unearthed a link between Zimbabwean army officers and a wave of robberies and killings in that country, a newspaper reported Sunday.

The Sunday Times newspaper said South African police intelligence operatives visited Zimbabwe last week to investigate links between five of the suspects in last Sunday’s ambush killing of four policemen and Zimbabwe's military.

Sixteen men were arrested in the aftermath of the shoot-out in Jeppestown, Johannesburg — three Mozambicans, five Zimbabweans and eight South Africans. Eight suspected
robbers were killed at the scene. Earlier that morning they had robbed a supermarket in Honeydew, Johannesburg.

The Zimbabwe visit came as an emotional Safety and Security Minister, Charles Nqakula, told the Sunday Times he was calling a meeting of top police officers tomorrow to discuss a comprehensive response to violent crime.

He spoke of his distress after entering the bloodied, bullet-riddled house hours after the standoff last Sunday.

“The most poignant moment for me was when I saw inspectors Van Heerden and Schoeman in an embrace lying down there. Obviously ... they sensed that they were nearing their end [and] went into an embrace,” he said.

Nqakula was referring to inspectors Frikkie van Heerden and Gert Schoeman, who died with Inspector Nzama Victor Mathye and Constable Peter Seaward.

Intelligence operatives say numerous robberies since 2002 could be traced to former Zimbabwean soldiers, but that they have received no help from the Zimbabwean authorities.

They further accuse the South African government of dragging its feet and not acting on intelligence in an effort “to maintain diplomatic relations”.

Nqakula said last Sunday’s shootout could have been prevented if the police had had better intelligence.

Intelligence officers, meanwhile, said there was an increase in the number of soldiers deserting the Zimbabwean army because of that country’s economic meltdown.

Zimbabwe has in recent years struggled to pay the salaries of its soldiers.

In the past five years South Africa has recorded a number of highprofile cases with links to Zimbabwe. These include:

• In January, Themba Charles Mahlangu from Zimbabwe was arrested at The Glen shopping mall. Two months earlier he had allegedly killed Johannesburg police officer Enver Enoch, and the same day had allegedly robbed an American Express outlet in Fourways. He was also sought in connection with a robbery at Gold Reef City in 2005;

• In March, gunmen stole more than R70-million in cash from an SAA flight. Suspects were arrested en route to Zimbabwe;

• In 2004 Durban police nabbed six members of the infamous Hammer Gang, responsible for robbing several banks and foreign-exchange agencies. Four of the men were Zimbabwean and it was alleged at the time that they had stolen US dollars and taken the money to Zimbabwe; and

• After an airport heist in 2002, in which more than R115-million was stolen, four of those responsible were arrested at a Bulawayo hotel.

The Sunday Times said an intelligence officer confirmed that former Zimbabwean military men were using their skills to good effect in South Africa — employing South Africans as runners to help them get accommodation, hideout spots and vehicles.

The officer is quoted as saying: “A number of soldiers are leaving the Zimbabwean army and coming [here]. The group that was involved in last Sunday’s shooting involved people with serious military training."

Police suspect that the weapons recovered, which include AK-47s and other powerful guns, were supplied by Mozambicans, while the Zimbabweans oversaw the operation in cahoots with several locals.

“Unfortunately our hands are tied ... Anything involving Zimbabwe or our [other] neighbours is handled via Pretoria,” said an official.

Kenny Fihla, head of Business Against Crime, said the involvement of foreigners in crime was becoming a serious problem.

“We should not be apologetic. We do have a sense that illegal foreigners are involved in these armed heists and robberies,” he said.
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